Lacing attachment.



Patented Dec. 17, I90l.

J. C. TEL FER. LAClNG ATTACHMENT. (Application filed. Mar. 11, 1901.)

in Model.)

Invefziar; Jbhn L. llelfez' M M M- fliiZ/J.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

JOHN C. TELFER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

LACINGATTAC H M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 689,245, dated December 17, 1901.

' Application filed March 11, 1901. Serial No. 50,597. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN C. TELFER, a citizenof the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing Attachments, of-

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shoe-lacing attachments of that class which enable the shoe to be secured upon or removed from the foot in less time and with greater ease than if provided with the eyelets used at the presenttime on all lace-shoes. The objections to the class of attachments of which this form is a member are as follows: One type embraces a series of hooks from which the lace may become disconnected. Another, embracing a series of closed hooks or loops, necessitates the use of a lace of unduelength to prevent its withdrawal from the topmost loops preparatory to removing the shoe or placing it on the foot, this style being also particularly objectionable where the loops are disposed on the inner side of the shoe-quarters.

The primary object, therefore, of my invention is to produce an attachment which combines the advantages of the closed hooks or loops in holding the lace and of the open hooks when it is desired to release it in order that the wearer maybe enabled to secure the shoe with a lace whose ends project but little-about two inches, more or less-above the top of the shoe.

A further object is to provide an attachment which can be applied to the shoe quickly and economically.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that itmay be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents the inner side of a lace-stay provided with shoe-lacing attachments embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an outer face view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the inner face of one of said attachments. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IV 'IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a slightly-modified form of attachment. Fig. 6 is a crosssection like Fig. 4, showing said modified form as applied to the lace-stay. Fig. 7 is an inner face View of another modification of the attachment. Fig. 8 is a cross-section ofthe'same as applied to the lace-stay. Fig. 9 represents in blank the form of attachment shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 10 represents in blank the form of single hook attachment shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 11 represents a cross-section of a still further modified construction. Fig. 12 represents the same in blank form. Fig.

and extending approximately parallel with the base, the free end of the hook being disposed at the opposite side of the shank from the free edge of the base and terminating sufficiently far from the former to provide a space through which a lace may be readily passed, and in order that this hook may reliably guard against the escape of the lace it is provided with the inwardly-turned end or reverse hook 4..

When made in single form, the base 2 is provided with a notch 5 in its front edge and is also notched in its rear edge at opposite sides of the shank (see Fig. 10) in order to provide a similar-notch 6 in said edge, said notch 6 appearing by reason of the fact that the shank bends from the base-line of said notches, as indicated by the dotted line 7.

The single form of the attachment just described is preferably used at the hinge-joint of the ankle above theinstep. Above and below such point a plurality of the attachments is preferably constructed integrally, and as the construction is obviously the same whether two hooks are made integral, as shown, above the single form of hook or four, as shown, below said single form (see Figs. 1 and 2) a description of one applies as well to the other. Above the hinge-joint of theankle I preferably employ two of the hooks d'escribed, constructed from a single piece of" metal,

these hooks corresponding in all respects, ex-

cept that notches 5 and (3 are formed at the ends of the base-plate 2, leaving said plate intact only intermediate thereof, this intermediate portion being perfectly rigid as regards edgewise movement and practically rigid as regards movement at right angles thereto. The advantages which accrue from the use of a plurality of books integrally formed below the hinge-joint are that they preserve the alinetnentwhere it is undesirable and unnecessary to have creases, as on the instep, and save time in the attachment to the shoe because of there being fewer pieces to handle. The same object is gained by the use of a plurality of hooks integrally formed above the an kle-joint, and in addition thereto the upper ends of the quarters are held rellably at the desired distance apart without the necessity of crossing the lace between the topmost hooks, a great many people never lacing their shoes completely to the top in order to avoid abrasion on the tendon forward of and just above the ankle. Below the ankle-joint of the shoe four of these hooks are constructed from a single piece of metal, these, except in number, being exactly of the same construction as those above described. To secu re these books to the lace-stays A, the latter are provided with longitudinal slits B. The hooks may be applied to the stays before the latter are attached to the shoe or maybe applied after such attachm en t, preferably after, for thereason that the stays may be stitched to the shoe-quarters with greater rapidity and with less trouble, it being understood, of course, that the rear edges of the stays must be unattachedto permit of such manipulation oft he hooks."- 'llhe hooks shown in Figs. lland 13 may be disposed operatively even. after the stay is sewed to the quarter at both front and rear edges.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 it-will be noticed. that the base 2 is notched only at its front edge, as at 5, said notch being of such dimension as to provide slender forwardly-projecting arms 8 for embedrnent in the lace-stay, and it will also be observed that by dispensing with the notches at the opposite side of the shank (see Fig. 10) thenotch 6i(see Fig. 2) does not appear, and as a result the stay is free to assume the approximate position shownin dotted lines, Fig.

, 8, which it cannot in Figs. 5 and 6, for instance, where'it will be noticed base 2 projects rear-wardly beyond the shank.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the construction just described is practically reversed, and as a result the base projects rearwardly from the shank, and consequently makes it practically impossible for the lace-stay to open the hook for the admission or removal of the lace by assuming the approximate position shown in dotted lines, Figs. 8 and 11. In said Figs. 5 and 6 the base 2 is provided with notches 9, so as to provide arms 10 at opposite sides of the depending shank 1, and the book 3 at the lower end of the shank has its free end torminating about vertically below the rear edge of the base, that portionof the base between and at opposite sides of the notches 9 being left intact in order to provide said arms 10, which, like arms 8, may be clamped tightly upon the stay.

Fig. 11 shows a book made from the blank, Fig. 12, in which it will be noticed that the loop or closed end of the hook projects forward beyond the front edge of the lace-stay and at such point is bent so as to throw the strain imposed by the lace about in the same plane as the stay instead of below it, as in the other figures, where the hook is disposed entirely below the stay. With this exception said figureis in all essentials of the same construction as the remaining figures. The ob ject of having the strain imposed in the plane of the stay is to obviate any tendency of the latter to gape open when the shoe is laced, which tendency it must have,'in some degree, at least, where the strain is imposed rearward and below its front edge. It has also been found, however, that in actual practice this gaping of the stays is so slight as to be hardly noticeable, though it is possible that in shoes of very light leather, such as that used in the manufacture of womens shoes, this objectionable feature will be more apparent.

Fig. 13 shows a type of hook of still fur ther modified construction, this being practically the same as that shown in Fig. 3, except that the connecting-bar 12 between integrally-formed hooks, while parallel with the base, occurs at the opposite end of the shank. In this type of attachment the hooks can be disposed at the outer side of the stay, and

consequently at the outer side of the shoequarter, like the hooks used above theinstep of practically all lace-shoesformen new manufactured, the difference lying in the fact that from this type of hook-the lace cannot be accidentally disengaged and in the;further fact that it can be attached to the shoe by hand without the use of perforatingand riveting machines.

During the life of the lace-there is no occasion for its withdrawal from the attachment on the instep. For thisreason as it is neither necessary or desirable to have the open hook at this point and as the connection cannot be made too strong or reliable I prefor to pass-the free end ofv the hooks-through the'material to which they are attached and clench the mfirmly, as'shown at 3 in Figs. 2, 6, and 11 in full and dotted lines, respectively, this clenching of the hooks reinforcing'the leather back of the slits through which the shanks pass, thus eflfecting a more equal distribution of the strain on the leather and reducing the chances of the latter being torn under the strain imposed. In securing the hooks shown in Figs. 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13 in position it is preferable to slipthebase1portion through the slit B ol. the stay, though Where a plurality of hooks are integrally formed, as in the types shown in Figs. 7, 8, 11, and 12, the hooks proper must be fitted through the stay, it being borne in mind that the clenched ends of the hooks shown in Figs. 6, 2, and 11 are secured after the attachment is secured to the stay.

The hooks above the joint of the instep are all preferably of the open-hook type with the reverse hook ends in order to facilitate lacing and unlacing the shoe and to avoid the necessity of long laces, whose ends are diflicult to dispose of when the shoe is laced.

With the type of hook shown in Figs. 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, and 12 or--13 it is obvious that as the quarters are pulled apart they are with the same motion of the hand bent, as indicated by dotted lines, Figs. 8 and 11, to increase the distance between the inner faces of the stays and the reverse hooks 4, through which spaces the lace may be easily drawn without longitudinal or threading movement. This will be found of great convenience when securing the shoe on the foot, because laces of ordinary length will be totally withdrawn from the hooks each time the quarters are pulled apart preparatory to the removal of the shoe.

The attachment in every form may be clamped tightly and reliably to the stay by slipping a fiat rod (not shown) through the hook proper and striking the base a sharp blow or blows with a hammer, the hook of course resting on an anvil or equivalent bed meanwhile. This operation results in embedding the base and hook proper in opposite sides of the stay or quarter if fitted therethrough, as is contemplated with the form shown in Fig. 13. With this form a slit can be made clear through the quarter and stay and the attachment secured thereto with thehook proper at the outer side of the quarter. This hook if arranged in practically the same position as the hooks commonly used on laceshoes has the additional advantage of the reverse hook, which prevents any possibility of the lace becoming disengaged therewith as long as its ends remain tied together or otherwise secured or of booking the clothing of the wearer.

The clamping of the attachment to the lacestay holds it so firmly thereto that although the strain may be applied in the plane of the stay it is immovable and cannot cut the contiguous line of stitches (not sh0wn)uniting the stay with the quarter, this line of stitching occurring almost coincidental with the front edges of the base 2.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a lacing attach- Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a flexible-lace stay having a number of slits, and lacing attachments, each constructed from a single piece of sheet metal bent to form shanks extending through the slits in the stay, hooks at one end of the shanks and pressing against one face of the stay and bases at the opposite ends of the shanks and pressing against the opposite face of the stay; the hooks projecting beyond the free edge of the stay and terminating in points extended back beyond the slits through which the shanks pass, and clenched through the stay, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I 'aftix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. TELFER.

Witnesses:

H. O. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

